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Roy Orbison tours Britain this week. The late great rock and roll icon will appear on stage as a hologram, a life-sized 3D laser projection swinging a red Gibson guitar in front of a live orchestra. While flesh and blood musicians concentrate on keeping time with the click track, Roy’s lips will move in sync with pre-recorded vocals, that extraordinary operatic voice floating up from beyond the grave. He will nod to the conductor and chat between songs. Being dead for 30 years is little hindrance to performing live these days.

The late rapper Tupac Shakur made a one-song appearance with Snoop Dogg at the Coachella Festival in 2012. Michael Jackson moonwalked again at the Billboard Music Awards...